How to Save Money and Enjoy the Movies
Just because you call yourself frugal doesn’t mean you don’t want to have fun and be entertained. Having fun and being frugal is what this site is all about! You don’t have to spend a lot of cash to have fun. Here’s how to save money and enjoy movies – at home or in a {How to Save Money and Enjoy the Movies}
Home Exchange to Victoria, British Columbia
Our most recent home exchange adventure, over spring break, was to Victoria, British Columbia. It’s an incredibly beautiful and cosmopolitan city for its relatively small size. It’s also very easy to get around the downtown area whether you’re on a bike, walking or driving. We had our car with us on this home swap (as {Home Exchange to Victoria, British Columbia}
Home Swapping and Eating Like a Local
My favorite way to travel is to home swap. Trading homes has allowed our family of 4 to travel to different countries and live like locals without the expense of hotels or eating at restaurants. Not only do we stay for free but we also eat like locals because we’re cooking at home. What better {Home Swapping and Eating Like a Local}
Home Exchange Registration
I love home swapping as a way to see the world and stay for free. Rather than being handed a bill at the end of a vacation, there’s usually a thank you note. That’s my kind of vacation! Registering for a home swapping site is your access to a database of potential travel partners. The {Home Exchange Registration}
Home Exchange Holidays
My favorite way to travel is to home swap and after 8 home exchanges in 8 years (4 in the U.S. and 4 in Europe), I’m ready to go again! When you home exchange, you get to stay in a home with a kitchen, live like a local in a non-tourist area, and skip having {Home Exchange Holidays}
The Winner Announced and a Food Waste Survey
The winner of the giveaway book, “Fed Up with Frenzy” by Suz Lipman is….. Cara – with comment number 10 – Congratulations, Cara! Cara says, “Our family enjoys spending time on our boat fishing, reading books, napping, and talking.” Those are some of my favorite family activities, also. Although I like to nap by myself {The Winner Announced and a Food Waste Survey}
Weekly Meal Plan and Feast Portland
I had the pleasure of attending the very festive and fun food event in Portland last weekend, Feast Portland: Celebration of Oregon Bounty. It was an absolute food lovers delight and was sponsored by Bon Appetit. The session I attended was outdoors and was all about sampling delicious food and wine from artisans and companies {Weekly Meal Plan and Feast Portland}
Fed Up with Frenzy Book Review and Giveaway
I have a special treat for Go Gingham readers today – a giveaway for a newly released book by author Susan (“Suz”) Sachs Lipman. The book is “Fed Up with Frenzy,” and will surely be dogged-eared and marked-up by parents everywhere who are looking for ways to slow down and reconnect with their families. Suz {Fed Up with Frenzy Book Review and Giveaway}
Places to Stay in Spain
Do we have the tent poles? Too bad no one asked that before we packed our camping gear into a duffel bag and headed to Spain for our 3-week trip. While we had a home swap in Alicante, Spain, we had also planned to camp and stay in small, family run hotels (called hostals or {Places to Stay in Spain}
Souvenirs from Spain
When we travel and home exchange, we travel pretty light so we are not usually very big on bringing home a bunch of souvenirs. That being said, who doesn’t like to come home with some small reminder of a great trip? Our compromise is to combine getting something we need while on the trip with {Souvenirs from Spain}
Never Spill Your Wine Again at a Picnic
Living in Portland (Oregon), we are fortunate in that our city’s park system puts on free concerts in the evening throughout the summer. I love to put together a great picnic dinner, grab a bottle of wine, and head up to the park near our house for a relaxing evening. These concerts give us a {Never Spill Your Wine Again at a Picnic}
How to Make New Candles from Old Candles
“In case you ever want to live off the grid,” was the answer I gave my 15-year-old son as the reason he should make candles with me. As you can imagine, this was met with a jaw-dropping, wide-eyed dazed look that comes from a teen who would like nothing better than to be plugged-in and {How to Make New Candles from Old Candles}
Vacation Rules: According to Teens
For the record, I didn’t agree to these rules before our home exchange trip to Spain. These rules were just announced to me by my teens and put into place once we arrived. I can see why the first one came to be but the other two – come on! A girl’s got to live, {Vacation Rules: According to Teens}
Home From Spain
Hello dear readers – I’m back from a fantastic home swap and trip to Spain. My yard, garden, and email accounts are getting back under control finally. It’s amazing how many weeds can grow in 3-weeks time! There’s still a stack of mail and travel documents that need attending but I’m hoping if I ignore {Home From Spain}
Helping Kids Remember a Vacation
When we travel as a family to spots near and far, I want my kids to remember the trip. Sometimes they need a little help, especially if they’re young. The first home exchange we did to Paris when our kids were 5-years-old and 7-years-old was when I realized they may not remember the trip unless {Helping Kids Remember a Vacation}
